Love, Helena

Chapter 2

"It's good to see you again, Helena Wren." He greeted, the amusement in his eyes seeping to his voice.

Wren felt her skin prickle with a weird sensation as she tried to muster up a smile to her husband and a nod. "It has been awhile, Zach."

He looked away from her, eyes settling on Alessandro, with his arm around his mother protectively. Wren noticed her son sporting that defiant expression on his face that she once admired in Zach's. Alesso wouldn't admit it, but he looked every bit his father- 

"How are you son?" Zach asked with a proud smile. 

Ales simply gave a pragmatic nod and 'hello' before he let his eyes train over Amber and the woman standing behind her. "I didn't think you'd be bringing guests dad. Christmas break is supposedly family time."

He stared the redhead down who didn't seem bothered one bit by it. Wren on the other hand was fixing her husband with an analytical gaze, watching his expression change from proud to assessing as he looked from his son and back to the woman he brought along. He shrugged unceremoniously, "That's Cara, my assistant."

His assistant indeed. Wren clenched her fist and took a deep breath to compose herself. She had to convince herself that she had to make this work for her children, for her family.

"Won't you invite us in, Helena?" Zach said turning his gaze on her.

"I'll go get the kids," Wren smiled at Alesso, "You show everyone in, they must be tired."

She rushed down the stairs towards her younger children, burying her discomfort and fury under a blanket of false cheer as she is used to. Lennon was tugging playfully at Ophelia's hair while she sulked and tried not to smile at her brother. Her downcast eyes and slumped shoulders were sign enough that she was sad and utterly disappointed.

"Philly, come baby. We should go in and catch up with everyone. Ales and Amber can't wait to hear from you." Wren forced an enthusiastic smile that didn't reach her eyes, but she's mastered the facade for the sake of her children. She had to.

"I want to stay out and play with Lenny." She said sulkily, not looking at her mom.

Wren was browsing her catalogue of lies to coax Ophelia inside when Lennon cut in, giving her a meaningful look. "It's okay mum. I'll stay and watch over her. We have all the time to catch up with Ales and Amber later."

She knew he saw right through her, and as always, refused -however politely- to join in on her play pretend. Lennon was too smart for his age, too understanding for a sixteen year old, and despite her best efforts, she often felt devastated that he could read her so well and still never bring it up in fear of upsetting her.

Lennon looked at his mother as she pressed her lips in a tight smile, and felt an anger he always tried to keep at bay for her sake. He was young but he was not stupid. All his life, Lennon knew that thanks to his mother, him and his siblings had never been in need of a single thing. She took it upon herself to meet their every need, but he also spent a lot of time with just the both of them, and however hard she tried to pretend for their sakes, he could pick out the little tics that gave her away. He loved his mother dearly, but sometimes he wished- he just wished that she would break the charade. He shook his head and took Ophelia's hand in his.

"Go in, mum. We'll be in the backyard." Len smiled at her reassuringly and she nodded giving him and Ophelia each a kiss on the forehead before steeling her nerves and walking right inside the house. It was the least she owed them, she thought to herself. If her children caught onto her illusions, and did not want to partake in them, then she had no right to force it onto them. She told herself that she tried her best, that there was nothing else she could do to change their reality. So if they no longer believed their father to be the man she had loved dearly all those years... Helena took a deep breath and walked into the living room.